A major international airport in Texas operates high-traffic terminals around the clock and wants every traveler to leave with a good impression. When it put its janitorial contract out to bid, one of its terminals was experiencing service deficiencies that called for a higher level of performance.

In a high-traffic terminal that operates around the clock, travelers and airport staff noticed the gaps right away: missed details, dusty surfaces, and carpets so oversaturated with cleaning solution that the original color no longer showed. Behind the scenes, leadership was stretched thin, equipment operability sat near 60%, and staffing stayed below target amid high turnover.

Airports want every traveler to leave with a good impression, and that goal calls for a higher level of janitorial performance. This airport needed a partner with the operational infrastructure, leadership depth, and transition experience to take over a highly technical, high-visibility environment without any dip in service.

The airport awarded Marsden the contract. Marsden moved quickly to address the airport’s pain points, completing a full transition in 18 days—a process the airport typically expects to take up to 90 days. A cross-functional team from sales, operations, and field leadership collaborated on a structured transition checklist and a detailed plan.

We have experience in the airport vertical and know how to partner with airport clients: we get cleaners badged, bring in subject matter experts, and tailor our program to the space. We immediately went to work building a program to succeed from the first day of service.

• Dedicated, on-site leadership: Marsden assigned an on-site account manager with full ownership of the terminal, giving the airport consistent leadership visibility and accountability.
• Reliable equipment and training: Before the transition began, we placed the right equipment on-site for each task and trained staff to use it.
• Early hiring: We hired new team members early and placed them in non-terminal accounts to train and acclimate before they moved into the airport environment.
• Detailed route cards: Marsden developed and implemented route cards that standardize cleaning across the facility, so every area gets covered and service holds steady when another cleaner covers a route.

We delivered immediate, measurable improvement from the first days of service. Carpets that had lost their color under the previous program were restored in under two weeks. The airport presented Marsden’s account lead with an internal performance award recognizing the startup—a transition with no disruption to service and immediate performance improvement.

Marsden’s preparation, leadership investment, and operational discipline produced a startup that exceeded expectations and established a solid foundation for long-term performance. The terminal stays clean, safe, and productive for travelers around the clock.

• We completed the full transition in 18 days, well ahead of the airport’s standard 90-day timeline, with no interruption to service.
• We increased equipment operability from approximately 60% to over 98%.
• We maintained an employee retention rate of 93–95% for the duration of the contract, above industry norms.
• We consistently exceeded airport cleanliness KPIs, including daily terminal walk scores and third-party customer satisfaction ratings for restroom cleanliness, terminal cleanliness, and overall traveler satisfaction.

Related Services:

• Janitorial and Cleaning Services

Related Industry:

• Airports